Black Cobra – “Imperium Simulacra” [Album Review]

Let’s make no bones about this, Imperium Simulacra, the latest cacophony of riffs from San Fransisco blasters Black Cobra, simply rages. There are no pretty bits, there’s none of that clever techy stuff, nope, Imperium Simulacra just hurtles along cracking skulls with fistfuls of dirty, grotty riffs.

Now, in some ways this is a good thing but, in others, it does get a little tiresome, especially if you’re not a huge fan of this kind of thing. You see, Black Cobra wear their sound proudly on their sleeves. They don’t fancy it up with polished productions and all that shite, no, Imperium Simulacra, from the outset, is just a barrage of relentless rough-around-the-edges thrash riffs played at a hundred miles an hour.

Songs like “Eyes Among The Blind” are neck-snapping thrashfests beefed up with some doomy, sludgy vocals from guitarist Jason Landrian. What’s all the more impressive about this cacophony of filthy metal is the fact that Black Cobra are a duo, no bassist, just drummer and guitarist and, even without the guttural rumblings that a bass could add to the likes of “Dark Shine,” the pair manage to create one heck of a din.

On the downside though, the relentless procession of thrash cocktails that stomp their way through your head do suffer from sounding a little too samey after a while, especially with the album clocking in at just under a whopping fifty minutes. However, if you’re a fan of this kind of filthy riffery then, for those fifty minutes, Black Cobra and songs like “Obsolete” will have you rattling your neck muscles with little regard for the consequences.

Track Listing:

01. Challenger Deep
02. Imperium Simulacra
03. Fathoms Below
04. Eye Among The Blind
05. The Messenger
06. Obsolete
07. Dark Shine
08. Sentinel (Infinite Observer)
09. Technical Demise

Run Time: 48:13
Release Date: February 26, 2016

Check out the track “The Messenger” here.